LOGINChastity Van Dyke has found her role in life. She’s going to become a nun. Despite the shock and disgust from her family, Chastity is forging ahead with her plan. Nothing is going to stop her – will it? Because of inconvenient circumstances, Julian Beaumont has to enlist the woman he hates the most to help him schmooze Italian businessmen. Of course, Chastity demands compensation – not for herself but for a small convent in Boston. After agreeing to make a sizable donation to the convent, Chastity helps him. Then it happened. His heart betrayed his better sense. Now, Julian has feelings for the Devil’s spawn. When he tries to express them, Chastity runs away. He knows she has a secret. And whatever that secret is it’s keeping them apart. Once he discovers it, it doesn’t deter him for long. Julian won’t rest until Chastity is his despite what his little harpy has planned for her life. “You’re not tired. You’re leaving because you’re uncomfortable with having a good time with me.” “What? I am not.” “You are to.” Julian let go of her arm. “I never figured you for a coward.” “I am not a coward.” “Then why do you keep running from me?” he asked seriously. “I’m not running from anything. I’m tired.” “Right. Chastity, I’ve decided not to stop.” She didn’t like the determined look in his eyes. “Not to stop what?” “Pursuing you. By the time I get finished with you, you’re not going to be a nun no more than I am.” Ire flared and before she knew it, she whacked Julian on the cheek as hard as she could. Chastity stormed off in a hurry.
View More"Heh, Roro Jonggrang! Loe kagak salah abis ujan malah jajan es?!" Jodi berdecak dengan pilihan jajanan Rara.
"Sirik aja loe! Itu banyak juga yang pada jajan kagak ada yang loe protes!" sembur Rara tak terima saran Jodi.
"Emang percuma gue ngomong sama loe." Jodi kesal dan berlalu meninggalkan Rara.
Dua orang anak remaja itu, tidak pernah akur saat bertemu. Selalu saja ada perdebatan di antara mereka. Bahkan hal kecil, bisa mengakibatkan mereka bertengkar atau berselisih, seperti saat ini.
Jodi menegur Rara saat gadis itu membeli es saat langit tengah mendung dan gelap, lebih tepatnya tadi pagi hujan turun cukup deras, untung saja satu jam lalu telah berhenti membuat aktifitas siswa tidak terganggu.
Begitu banyak yang mengantri untuk membeli es, mengingat saat ini adalah waktu istirahat membuat semua siswa memilih segera masuk ke dalam kantin dan membelanjakan seluruh uang jajan mereka, termasuk Rara, sejak tadi pagi ia mengikuti 2 mata pelajaran yang menguras waktu serta pikiran.
Hal itu pula yang dilakukan oleh Rara yang sejak 5 menit lalu mengantri jajan es bubur sum-sum di gerobak Mang Acep.
Entah mengapa Jodi tergelitik untuk mencegah Rara ikutan mengantri membeli es bubur sum-sum yang ia tahu salah satu jajanan kesukaan Rara. Ada sedikit kekhawatiran dalam pikiran Jodi kalau Rara akan sakit kalau membeli es dalam kondisi dingin seperti ini. Ah, kenapa juga gue mikirin si Roro Jonggrang? batin Jodi mempertanyakan sikapnya sendiri.
"Rara jajan apaan?" sapa Riko dengan senyuman nya yang luar biasa manis dan bikin klepek-klepek hati Rara. Semoga saja setelah ini Rara tidak terkena diabetes.
"Eh ini... es bubur sum-sum." Rara mendadak memakan jajanannya dengan perlahan. Siapa juga yang tidak merasa canggung mendapatkan perhatian dari sang ketua kelas baik hati, tidak sombong dan rajin menabung seperti Riko?
"Enak tuh kayaknya," goda Riko memperhatikan jajanan milik Rara sekaligus menyadarkan Rara dari lamunannya.
"Kamu mau nyobain?" tanya Rara, bermaksud basa-basi menawarkan dan tanpa sadar ia telah menyendok untuk dirinya dan tanpa di sangka Riko langsung melahap isi sendok dari tangan Rara.
Tindakan manis Riko sontak tanpa dia sadar membuat Rara bersemu kemerahan wajahnya. Menyadari perubahan pipi merona Rara justru membuat Riko menjadi gemas.
"Riko! Loe enggak ngeri rabies makan bekas sendok nya si Roro Jonggrang?!" pekik Jodi yang tiba-tiba muncul dari depan pintu kelas.
"Loe tuh ngapa ngefans banget sama gue ampe apa aja yang gue lakuin di komentarin?" ujar Rara ketus, sambil melengos.
"Aku belum pernah makan jajanan yang Rara makan," aku Riko yang memang tidak pernah memakan bubur sumsum sebelumnya.
"Horang kaya mana kenal jajanan rakyat jelata," ledek Jodi.
Riko memang berasal dari keluarga kaya dan itu terlihat dari semua barang branded yang ia kenakan. Dulu ketika mereka masih SD dan Riko sebagai siswa baru, awal kehadirannya banyak menimbulkan pertanyaan mengapa ia memilih sekolah di tempat biasa seperti mereka, tapi Riko hanya bilang kalau ia lebih nyaman berteman dengan mereka.
"Mau lagi boleh gak?" Riko tergiur untuk kembali memakan jajanan yang sedang di makan Rara.
"Emang gak apa-apa makan bekas aku?" Rara berkata lirih.
"Ciyeee aku, si Roro Jonggrang ketularan ber aku-kamu... Mau di bawa kemana hubungan kita jika kau terus menunda-nunda..." sindir Jodi sambil bernyanyi tidak jelas yang sebenarnya ungkapan kekecewaannya terhadap Yola karena tidak pernah bisa mesra seperti pasangan di depannya kini.
"Berisik!" Rara melempar Jodi dengan penghapus papan tulis yang kebetulan dekat dengannya.
"Tuh Riko... Lihat kelakuan aslinya, bahaya kalau loe nekat mau sama nih bocah." Jodi semakin terbakar menggoda Rara.
"Jodi kenapa sih ganggu Rara terus?" Yola menyela ucapan Jodi.
"Eh, ada Yola, " Jodi langsung salah tingkah.
"Biarin aja sih double R suap-suapan," Yola melirik ke arah Rara dan Riko.
"Widih iya double R keren juga istilahnya," Jodi cengengesan.
"Yola! kirain mau belain eh ikutan ngeledekin kayak si Jodi," sungut Rara melengos sambil melipat kedua tangannya.
"Udah biarin aja. Eh, ada sisa jajanan tuh di bibir kamu." Riko menenangkan Rara dengan mengalihkan pembicaraan.
"Yasalam, ini sekolah woiii... ngontrak udah yang laen," seloroh Jodi yang meradang karena tidak bisa mesra seperti double R bersama Yola yang cenderung mengindari dirinya semenjak ia memberikan coklat brown queen.
***
Mendung yang menggelayut di kampung Pekapuran tidak menghalangi rencana para warga yang sedang melaksanakan kerja bakti. Warga begitu antusias bahu membahu membersihkan lingkungan mereka demi menyambut perayaan rutin tahunan, tujuh belasan.
"Pak, maaf itu truk nyang angkut semen dan pasir udah datang di depan gang swadaya," Dali memberitahu Pak Joko selaku RT di kampung cinta damai.
"Wah, sudah datang toh? Terimakasih ya Pak Rojak sudah menjadi donatur yang menyumbangkan bahan untuk perbaikan jalan gang kita ini," ucap Pak Joko kepada Pak Rojak yang berada di sebelahnya.
"Ah santai aje, kebetulan stok di material lagi banyak jadi bisa di bawa kemari sedikit lebih." Rojak sang juragan material bangunan merendah.
"Ssstt... kita beruntung ya kampung ini ada Pak Rojak dan Pak Sabeni yang royal," puji Pak Sugeng sambil berbisik ke arah temannya yang berada agak jauh dari Rojak dan Pak RT. Ya, jika Rojak sang juragan toko material bangunan, maka Sabeni sang juragan restoran Saung Hijau juga selalu menyumbangkan makanan bagi para warga yang mengikuti kegiatan kerja bakti.
"Iya ya kira-kira menu makanan dari restoran Pak Sabeni sekarang apa ya?" seloroh Pak Ojan seraya membayangkan santapan lezat di benaknya.
Menjelang sore datanglah mobil catering bertuliskan Saung Hijau dari restoran milik Sabeni sang juragan restoran di kampung Pekapuran terlihat berjalan ke arah tempat para warga yang sedang melaksanakan kerja bakti.
"Woi, Beni alias Sabeni, sibuk amat loe ye ampe kagak sempet setor muka kemari," sapa Rojak yang sedang duduk istirahat di poskamling bersama beberapa warga yang sedang rehat sebentar.
"Iya nih Jak, Alhamdulillah lagi banyak orderan hajatan." Sabeni menghampiri Rojak dan para bapak yang sedang kerja bakti.
"Gimana kabar calon mantu gue?" tanya Rojak setelah jarak duduk mereka berdekatan.
"Yasalam, anak gue masih sekolah udah gak sabar banget loe mau jadiin mantu," seloroh Sabeni sambil tergelak tawa renyah. Perut buncitnya pun terlihat bergoyang mengikuti deburan ombak perut Sabeni, bak penyanyi dangdut yang sedang berjoget.
"Pegimana ya anak loe dari bini loe masih bunting kan emang udah di minta sama enyak gue jadi calon cucu nya entar." Rojak mengenang permintaan almarhumah Enyak Ida yang sudah meninggal tiga tahun silam.
Ucapan Rojak seketika mengingatkan Sabeni akan semua hutang budi dirinya kepada Rojak dan istrinya. Sosok disampingnya kini di masa lalu telah mengulurkan tangannya memberikan bantuan modal saat usahanya hampir bangkrut. Tidak hanya itu saja, ketika Halimah, istrinya yang menderita eklampsia pasca melahirkan langsung koma akhirnya membuat putrinya sempat di asuh oleh Rodiah, istri Rojak.
"Siapa yang dijodohin? Anaknya bang Rojak sama bang Beni bukannya ribut mulu kalau ketemu?" protes Sueb, kang cilor keliling.
"Biasa itu mah... FTV juga gak bakalan rame kalau pemainnya kagak berantem entar ujung-ujungnya juga demen terus kawin." Rojak membela anak dan calon mantu ciliknya.
"Hahaha... Betul loe Sueb, gue juga ampe pusing tu anak gue tiada hari tanpa ngomongin anaknya si Rojak," curhat Sabeni mengenai kelakuan anaknya
"Kagak apa-apa itu namanya anak gue udah nyantol di hati anak loe. Hahaha." sahut Rojak asal diiringi tawa bahagia.
"Nyantol sebagai apa nih? Semoga nanti mereka bisa akur ye... kagak bisa bayangin gue kalau tu anak dua ribut ampe tua kayak gitu. Ckckck." Sabeni menimpali.
"Loe jangan mikir kayak gitu dong Beni..." Rojak tidak sepemikiran dengan Sabeni.
"Pokoknya prinsip gue mah asal anak gue demen sama anak loe ya kita kawinin mereka entar lulus sekolah." Sabeni mencoba memberi pengertian kepada Rojak.
"Bujug buneng... mau ngawinin bocah, entar ngapa tunggu mereka lulus sekolah... udah kebelet mau dikawinin aje," ceplos Sueb yang terkenal sebagai makhluk paling kepo di antara mereka semuanya.
"Et deh Sueb! loe main nyamber aje kayak geledek! kagak rela gue juga bocah masih pake seragam sekolah langsung dikawinin! maksudnya tuh entar lulus sekolah SMA!" gertak Rojak sambil memukul bahu Sueb dengan peci kesayangannya.
"Oohh syukur deh kalau gitu," kali ini Pak Joko yang menimpali.
"Iya, entar anaknya Pak Rojak warisin usaha material nya terus anaknya Pak Sabeni warisin usaha restoran nya, gitu?" Sugeng ikutan menanggapi.
"Serasa orang gedean ye pernikahan bisnis." Dali berseloroh.
Celotehan para warga yang menanggapi perjodohan anak Rojak dan Sabeni membuat mereka menyesal membahas hal tersebut di depan banyak orang yang pasti memiliki berbagai pemikiran berbeda.
Parah nya, mereka tidak menyadari kalau percakapan mereka di dengar oleh kedua orang yang menjadi bahan pembicaraan mereka. Rara dan Jodi yang niatnya ingin meminta maaf kepada babehnya karena pulang terlambat lantaran baru saja selesai mengerjakan tugas Prakarya bersama kelompoknya, kini hanya saling memandang penuh kebencian mendengar rencana perjodohan mereka.
Four months later . . .How do you propose to a shrew? Julian had no idea but that was his dilemma. He knew he was asking for a headache for the rest of his days – and at such a young age. But what could he do? He couldn’t live without the harpy. And he would actually go to prison for mass murder if she left him or another man stole her away from him.Julian snorted at the thought. Ridiculous. Who the hell is going to take her from me other than Satan himself? And if he does, he’ll just give her back.For the past week, he had racked his brain on how to propose to Chastity. She wasn’t the hearts and flowers type. She liked nice dinners but romantic ones with violins and harps weren’t her style.He would have consulted with Chelsea on how to approach it, but he didn’t trust that she wouldn’t spill the beans to Chastity. They were twins. So, he went to the one person who usually advised him about things.“Hmm. I know you love her but are you sure?” his father asked.They were at B&B in
Chastity stood soaking wet from the rain in front of Julian. She was surprised to see he was still dressed. It was two-thirty in the morning – Paris time. From what she understood he had been in Paris for a few days now. Perhaps his body hadn’t adjusted to the time change yet. Julian stared at her with wide eyes. “Forgive me.” That’s all she could get out. The January wind and the rain had chilled her to the bone. She was trembling. Julian blinked a few times and then took her arm. He quickly pulled her inside. Julian grabbed her suitcase and carry-on and closed the door. After quickly placing her luggage to the side, he guided her to the couch and sat her down. Then he dashed away without a word. There was a white marble, gas fireplace. A photograph – a family portrait hung above the fireplace mantle. It appeared to be the Beaumonts, extended family included. The carpet was thick and soft under her plain shoes. The furniture was plush.
It took longer than Chastity had wanted to get to Boston Logan International Airport, but she had made it. She had thought the easy part would be getting a ticket to Paris. She had been wrong. JetBlue and Air France had no direct or indirect flights to Paris for the next two days. Chastity had called her father to see if she could use the family jet, but it was down at the Boston airport. When they did a flight check they discovered that one of the propellers needed to be replaced. It would take two days. Chelsea, Derek, Constance, her nieces, and her parents had to stay in Boston until the Dawson jet came for them. So, now, Chastity was at Delta Airlines customer service trying to get a flight.“I’m sorry, sister, but we have no flights available,” the customer service agent said.Chastity had decided to not take her final vows fifteen minutes before the ceremony. Therefore, she was already in her collar, dress, and veil. She had been so flustered when she realized that she couldn’t
Alexander hoped St. Barbara’s Convent had a big chapel for the vow ceremony because there were quite a few of them there to see Chastity take her final vows; Catherine, Cameron, Cameron’s father and stepmother, Constance and her twin girls, Derek, Chelsea, little Davidson, Derek’s sister and mother, Caitlin, Alexander’s father, stepmother, and sister, Ava Bartholomew, who had been missing for six months and was now back in the fold, Ernest, the man Chastity used to date up until a few months ago, George Nelson, a friend of Chelsea’s and Chastity’s, and seven personal friends of Chastity’s, who she had attended Columbia University with. The Beaumonts were outside of the convent with Carlton and Victoria Van Dyke, Chelsea, Derek, who was holding his son, Catherine, Cameron, and Constance and her twin girls. The rest were in their own huddle several feet away. People were walking up the walkway to the building. The ceremony was going to start in fifteen minutes. F
A few days later . . . One minute, Chastity was sleeping comfortably in her quarters at St. Barbara’s Convent. The next minute she’s being jarred awake. Her eyes opened to Julian, who was wearing a parka and a wool cap. Chastity couldn’t help but smile. “I knew y
The next morning . . . It was five a.m. Chastity had gotten little sleep. She kept thinking back to New Year’s Day morning when she had woken in Julian’s arms. Chastity had slipped from his hold and quietly picked up her clothes. As she had watched him sleep, a variety of em
Hector had been able to convince Julian to take a shower. As he was, Hector had Alexander call Caitlin, Cassandra, and Agatha, telling them to not mention Chastity’s name during brunch. He hadn’t had time to explain. Then Alexander had made Julian a cup of coffee while Hector had put ou
Julian and Chastity sat in the back of the limo as he poured champagne into two flutes. He handed her a glass. “Thank you.” He had warned the driver not to disturb them under penalty of death when they had gotten into the limo. All he wanted the driver to do was












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